Wine and gourmet tours

Day 1 - Arrival in Tbilisi

Reception by local tour guide and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2 - Capital Tbilisi

After breakfast, take a walking tour in Tbilisi: Metechi Church, Bath District, Narikala Fortress, colorful streets with cafes, restaurants, carpet and souvenir shops, old caravanserai with art workshops, Sioni Church.

Visit a traditional brandy distillery with a tasting.

Dinner at a traditional restaurant and overnight in Tbilisi. (F/A)

Day 3 - Tbilisi, Ikalto, Qvevri workshop, wine tunnel, Telavi

After breakfast, drive over the Gombori Pass (1642m) to the village of Ikalto, to the academy and monastery complex from the 12th century. In the Middle Ages, wine was produced in the numerous wine presses and cellars of the monastery for the Georgian royal court, and oenology was a compulsory subject at the local academy.

Visit a family workshop for the production of Qvevri (Georgian wine amphorae). Here, you can observe how large wine amphorae are made from clay and learn why they are so special. Afterward, enjoy lunch and a tasting of special homemade wines from the Qvevri of the potter master.

Continue to the village of Tsinandali, to the summer residence of Prince Alexander Chavchavadze. He is known as the author of the Georgian white wine Tsinandali, a wine made in the European style. In his residence in the village of Tsinandali, the educated nobility gathered for literary and musical evenings in the 19th century. At the end of the 19th century, this house became the summer residence of the Romanov family.

Dinner at a winery with wine.

Overnight in Telavi. (F/M/A)

Day 4 - Sighnaghi, Bodbe, Tbilisi

After breakfast, drive to Sighnaghi, a picturesque medieval town in the eastern part of Kakheti.

On a leisurely walk, you can explore the local life and architecture and take beautiful photos with the backdrop of the Great Caucasus.

On the way back to Tbilisi, stop in the village of Kakabeti, at the small private winery Velino. The owner will explain how a small winemaker survives in Georgia. Several Velino wines have received Mundus Vini awards and other international prizes.

Wine tasting and lunch with local specialties.

Arrival in Tbilisi and hotel check-in.

Rest of the day at leisure in the capital.  (F/M)

Day 5 - Mtskheta, Kutaisi

After breakfast, drive to Mtskheta, the older and religious capital of Eastern Georgia. From here, Christianity spread throughout Georgia in the 4th century. Visit the Jvari Monastery (6th century) and the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (11th century), both UNESCO World Heritage sites. Then, drive to Chateau Muchrani for a guided tour of the historic wine cellar and tasting of Kartli wines.

Visit the ancient rock city of Uplistsikhe (7th century BC), where, in addition to pagan temples, original wine presses and cellars carved into the rock are preserved.

Continue the journey to Kutaisi. Visit Baia's Wine Estate, followed by dinner and tasting of Imereti wines.

Overnight in Kutaisi. (F/M/A)

Day 6 - Kutaisi, Ambrolauri, Kutaisi

After breakfast, drive over the Naqerala Pass (1570 m), past the Schaori Lake, into the region of Racha.

Racha is one of the most forested mountain regions in Georgia, located in the Greater Caucasus. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it has mild summers and snowy winters. Due to its protected location in the mountains, the region was rarely attacked by enemies, which is why the churches here are in better condition than in other parts of the country.

Visit the St. Nicholas Church in the village of Nikorzminda (1180m). No other church in Georgia is as richly and beautifully decorated, and its interior still retains valuable frescoes.

From Nikorzminda, we reach the small town of Ambrolauri (550 m), the center of the Lower Racha region.

The area around Ambrolauri is a renowned and cherished wine-growing region in Georgia, with endemic grape varieties such as Khvanchkara, Aleksandrouli, Usacheliuri, and others. Visit a local winery, enjoy a wine tasting, and have a late lunch. In the evening, arrival and overnight stay in Kutaisi. (F/M)

Day 7 - Kutaisi, Farmers Market, Prometheus Karst Cave, Tbilisi

After breakfast, walk through the center of Kutaisi. Visit the local farmers' market.

Drive to the Prometheus Cave with six exciting chambers featuring stalactites and stalagmites.

Afterward, drive back to Tbilissi.

Farewell dinner and overnight stay in Tbilissi. (F/A)

Day 8 - Departure

Included in the travel price:

Transfer from/to the airport: All transfers according to the program in a comfortable minibus with 18 seats or in a bus (depending on the group size)

Tour guide: Continuous, German-speaking, studied tour guide from/to the airport

Accommodation:
4x overnight stay in Tbilisi in a 4* hotel
2x overnight stay in Kutaisi in a 3* hotel
1x overnight stay in Telavi in a mid-range hotel

Meals:

Breakfast in all hotels
5 x dinners
8 x wine tastings
3 x lunches
1 bottle of water (0.5l) per day and per person

All entrance fees + guided tours (in museums)

Not included in the travel price:

Flight
Travel insurance
Alcoholic beverages, except during the wine tastings
Tips